Trying to hide things from God
Joshua 6: 18 - 19
7: 1, 2 – 5, 6 – 9, 10- 15, 16 – 21, 22 –
25, 26
Trying to hide things from God
Introduction:
I am sure that we all can remember as a child
trying to “Hide something” or “even ourselves”
from our Parents or some other person who had
watch over us. We would get in
a box and think we can’t be
seen. It was fun, it was also
A way of not getting caught –
We thought!!!!
Trying to hide things from God
• I CAN REMEMBER DOING SO – HOW FOOLISH
IT WAS TO THINK THAT IT WOULD WORK,
THAT I WOULD BE SUCESSFUL AT CONSEALING
WHATEVER IT WAS.
• My mother had (has) eyes in the back of her
head.
• To this day I still wonder –
•
“How did she know?”
Trying to hide things from God
1. How successful were we at escaping the consequences
that we thought the “hiding” might accomplish?
Maybe it would work for a little while, but not for long.
2. How About trying to hide things from God?
Has anybody ever tried such a thing?
Would anybody try to such a thing, even today?
Would there be a consequence in attempting to do so?
Individually?
For Others?
Trying to hide things from God
3.
How about that last one?
a. Can what we do or fail to do have a
consequence for others?
Interesting thought!!!!!!1
Trying to hide things from God
3. The New Testament teaches us that the things recorded or
written in the Old Testament serve to teach us things that are
important to know today.
* ROMANS 15: 4 “For whatever things were written before were
written for our learning, that we through the patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (NKJV)
* I Corinthian 10: 1 – 12 ← READ verse 6 “Now these
things became our examples, to the intent that we should not
lust after evil things as they also lusted.”
So what can we learn about this topic,
Trying to hide things from God. What Happens?
I. The Story of the Battle of Ai.
A. Joshua is now in control of the Army (People)
of God leading them into the Promised Land
after Moses has gone to Mt. Nebo never to
enter at the Promised Land, because of his sin
at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the
wilderness of Zin, Numbers 20: 1-12, Deut.
32:48-52, Deut. 34: 1- 4. Joshua 1: 1-3, 3: 1ff.
1. They have just won the first of many battles,
( Joshua 6: 20 – 21) they will fight to receive
the Promise of God, the battle of Jericho, but
there was a command of God concerning this
battle, Joshua 6: 1ff. (Joshua 6: 18 – 19).
2. It had a far reaching effect.
a. They were not to take any of the Spoils (“the
accursed thing”) from the battle for
themselves. The silver and gold, vessels of
bronze and iron were to go into the Treasury
of the house of God. Vs 18.
b. They were to destroy everything else. V. 21
c. But Achan did. 7:1
d. They lost the Battle of Ai
7: 2-5
e. Achan hid the spoils from the people and he
thought from God, He “troubled the people” of
God, because of his sin.
Joshua told him that God would “trouble him for
his sin.” 7: 10-25
f. When the sin had been corrected, the Battle was
won, but not until then. 8: 1ff
II. Differing forms or methods of
Hiding Things from God
A. Self after Sins of Disobedience
1. Adam and Eve Genesis 3: 8-10
B. Ones Service
1. Jonah - Jonah 1: 3
2. Elijah
1 Kings 19: 1 - 10
II. Differing forms or methods of
Hiding Things from God
3. One who received the “One Talent”
Matthew 25: 10
C. Gifts/Money
Ananias and Sapphira
Acts 5:2
II. Differing forms or methods of
Hiding Things from God
Our sins, no matter what form they take - can
and may be hidden from mankind for a while,
even forever;
- but they can not be hidden from God.
III. What Should we Do?
1. Isaiah 29: 15 “Woe unto them that seek
deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and
their works are in the dark, and they say who seeth us, and who knoweth us?”
• Where we do what we do tells a great deal
about who and what we are.
III. What Should we Do?
2. Proverbs 28:13 tells us “He that covers his
sins shall not prosper, but whosoever
confesses and forsake them shall have
mercy.”
• We fool ourselves if we think that we will gain
in some way by hiding our trespasses. By
admitting what we have done, this brings
about the Mercy of God.
III. What Should we Do?
3. John 3:16 - 22 It is not God or Christ that
condemns us, but rather we condemn
ourselves by our own actions.
• When we live an OPEN life in Christ for all to
see, we are ashamed of nothing that we do.
Conclusion
1. Paul tells us Time is running out To make the
necessary changes in our lives, to get back
into the light. ROMANS 13:12
• “The night is far spent, the day is at hand, let
us there fore cast off the works of darkness
and let us put on the armor of light.”
Conclusion
2. We can not hide from God nor the things
which do or fail to do, PSALMS 90:8
• “Thou has set our iniquities before thee, our
secret sins in the light of thy Countenance.”
Conclusion
3. We need to be reminded of the Words of
Moses when speaking to the Children of
Israel, specifically the tribes of Rueben and
Gad, before Joshua took over to fight that
first battle of the Promised Land.
• Numbers 32 1- 6 32: 16 – 19, 32: 20 – 23.
• V 23. “ But if ye will not do so, behold you
sinned against the Lord, and be sure that
your sins will find you out.”
Conclusion
4. What does God know about us, personally and
as a group?
• Are we “troubling the Camp” with something
we think that nobody knows about?
• We can not hide from God?
What MUST You Do to Be Saved?
•
•
•
•
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Hear The Word Of God
Romans 10:17
Believe His Word
Mark 16:16, John 8:24
Repent of your sins
Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38
Confess your belief Romans 10:10, Acts 8:37
Be Baptized
Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38
For the Remission of Your Sins
Acts 22:16
Galatians 3:26, 27
• Live Faithfully
Titus 2:11-14